Ukrainian scientists will search for useful compounds among Antarctic marine bacteria to use them for human needs in the future.
This research will take place in the new Horizon Europe project, to which the National Antarctic Science Center has joined. It is called “Unlocking the Hidden Treasures of Aquatic Extremophiles: Sustainable Development of Industrially Relevant New Active Biomolecules (EXPLORA).”
Searching for bacteria
Aquatic extremophiles are marine bacteria of the Southern Ocean. They are lovers of extreme conditions: they survive in prolonged low temperatures and often significant ultraviolet radiation.
Scientists will try to figure out how they do it.
First of all, the project will sample marine bacteria near the Akademik Vernadsky station in the waters of the Wilhelm Archipelago off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Stages of research
The following stages are envisaged:
- DNA analysis of the selected samples, determination of their composition and functional characteristics;
- Creating a database of promising microorganisms that can potentially synthesize useful compounds with antifreeze and antioxidant properties;
- Selection of optimal conditions for growing bacteria and their cultivation;
- researching the genome of bacterial cultures for genes encoding useful properties.
The most promising bacterial cultures will then be sent to laboratories, where the microorganisms will be propagated in bioreactors to synthesize and isolate useful compounds.
What are bacteria for?
Scientists hope that the compounds obtained will be potentially useful for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medicine, etc.
Thus, in the future, scientific developments may turn into new products useful for humanity.
A separate highlight of the project is the improvement of technologies for selecting microorganisms in extreme environments, as this is often a complex process.
Robotic system
In cooperation with partners, we plan to develop a robotic sampling system in the Southern Ocean. The system will be tested at the Akademik Vernadsky station. This will make the selection of microorganisms more accurate and standardized, reduce human involvement in this process and its potential impact on the process.
We remind you that the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a leader among Ukrainian scientific institutions in raising funds in the Horizon Europe program.
The EXPLORA project is being implemented by the National Antarctic Science Center together with 12 partners from Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Bulgaria. It started on December 1, 2024, and will last for 48 months.
